Process for handling cargo and cargo handling facility

ABSTRACT

A process for handling cargo which comprises the step of providing a cargo handling facility having a wharf defining a marine berth of sufficient length to accommodate the docking of a marine vessel in substantially parallel relation to a sidewall of the wharf. A shelter having a roof structure overlying the marine berth and an adjacent portion of the wharf is also provided, with one or more overhead lifting means mounted beneath the roof structure for movement over the marine berth and over the adjacent portion of the wharf in both transverse and parallel directions relative to the sidewall providing for movement of cargo by the overhead lifting means between the marine vessel and one or more exterior transport positions located on the wharf. The one or more exterior transport positions are also preferably located under the roof.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to the field of material handling, andmore specifically, to a process for handling cargo and a cargo handlingfacility for use in such process.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

Approximately ninety-five percent of world cargo volume moves by marinevessels.

Historically, a large portion of sea cargo was breakbulk goods, namely,loose cargo, such as slings of bananas, or coils of steel, stoweddirectly in the hold of a ship.

Conventionally, when the ship docked, a crew of stevedores supplied by astevedoring firm stood ready to assist in the off-loading of the cargo.The off-loading commenced with the ship's crane, dockside gantry, ormobile crane supplied by the stevedoring firm or the port in question,being utilized to transfer the cargo from the ship's hold to adebarkation area on the dock defined by the reach of the crane(s). Thestevedores thereafter moved such cargo by forklift from the debarkationarea to a storage area, such as a warehouse, whereupon warehouseemployees assumed carriage of the cargo. With the cargo so removed fromthe debarkation area, further cargo could be transferred there by thecrane, and the method repeated until such time as the hold was empty.The process was thereafter reversed, for loading.

This conventional method of ship unloading and loading is relativelyslow, labour intensive, and costly. Moreover, it is subject to weatherdelays, particularly in harsher climates. Accordingly, in recent years,

Containerization pemits substantial improvements in the speed by whichcargo is loaded and unloaded, and in the shipping industry, profits aremade by maximizing the amount of time that vessels are in production,namely, transporting goods, and minimizing the amount of time thatvessels are in port.

However, containerization is not without its drawbacks.

As one such drawback, standard containers are typically engineered forloads up to 20 tons, whereas many discrete loads, such as steel coils,are in excess of that mass.

As another such drawback, the containers themselves represent asignificant load, thereby reducing the transport capacity of the vessel.

Further, lakers, which carry the bulk of the cargo within the GreatLakes, are of a size and configuration which is not amenable to thelarge scale cartage of containers.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

It is an object of the present invention to provide for the handling ofcargo, including but not limited to breakbulk cargo, in a manner that isrelatively inexpensive compared to conventional methods of handlingbreakbulk cargo.

This object, amongst, others, is met by the present invention, a processfor handling cargo.

The process for handling cargo comprises the step of providing a cargohandling facility.

The cargo handling facility includes a wharf defining a marine berth ofsufficient length to accommodate the docking of a marine vessel insubstantially parallel relation to a sidewall of the wharf; a shelterhaving a roof structure overlying the marine berth and an adjacentportion of the wharf; one or more overhead lifting means, such asoverhead cranes, are mounted beneath the roof structure for movementover the marine berth and over the adjacent portion of the wharf in bothtransverse and parallel directions relative to the sidewall of thewharf. This provides for movement of the cargo by the overhead liftingmeans between the marine vessel and one or more exterior transportpositions located on the wharf, which exterior transport positions arealso preferably located under the roof structure.

The cargo handling facility preferably further includes a waterside wallextending upwardly, from the bed of water on which the wharf sits, tothe roof structure, so that the marine berth is sheltered on the waterside by the waterside wall.

The cargo handling facility preferably also further includes a warehousehaving an access wall in which one or more cargo doorways opening ontothe wharf are provided. The warehouse structure is preferably orientedwith its access wall positioned towards and arranged substantiallyparallel to the waterside edge of the wharf, such that the marine berthis sheltered on the land side by the access wall. The one or moreexterior transport positions are preferably located one each on thewharf outside a respective one of the one or more cargo doorways.

One or more cargo conveyance means are preferably associated one eachwith said one or more cargo doorways, and each of said one or more cargoconveyance means is adapted to convey cargo between a respectiveexterior transport position on the wharf outside its associated cargodoorway to a respective interior transport position in the warehouseinside its associated cargo doorway.

The transport means is for moving cargo between the interior transportpositions and the interior of the warehouse.

The location and the structure of the facility provides for an efficientand advantageous deployment of stevedore and warehouse labour, therebyto permit handling of cargo, including breakbulk cargo, in a manner thatis relatively inexpensive as compared to conventional breakbulk cargohandling processes.

Other advantages, features and characteristics of the present invention,as well as methods of operation and functions of the related elements ofthe structure, and the combination of parts and economies ofmanufacture, will become more apparent upon consideration of thefollowing detailed description and the appended claims with reference tothe accompanying drawings, the latter of which is briefly describedhereinafter.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a cargo handling facility provided in apreferred embodiment of the process of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the structure of FIG. 1;

FIG. 2A is an enlarged view of encircled area 2A of FIG. 2;

FIG. 3 is a front, right perspective view of the structure of FIG. 1,with a marine vessel shown approaching the marine berth;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3, with the marine vessel berthed andshown in phantom outline;

FIG. 5 is a right side interior perspective, view of the structure ofFIG. 4, with the cargo-doors of the marine vessel shown in their closed,sealed positions;

FIG. 5A is an enlarged view of encircled area 5A of FIG. 5;

FIG. 6 is a view similar to FIG. 5, with a pair of cargo doors to thecargo hold shown open, and with the hoist of a first overhead cranedisposed above the hold;

FIG. 7 is a view similar to FIG. 6, with cargo (in this particular case,a coil of steel), shown being withdrawn from the hold by the hoist ofthe first overhead crane;

FIG. 8 is a view similar to FIG. 7, with the first overhead crane showndepositing the cargo at an exterior transport position on a respectivecargo conveyance means;

FIG. 9 is a view similar to FIG. 7, with the first overhead crane showndepositing the cargo onto a transport truck;

FIG. 10 is a view of the structure of FIG. 8, from the interior of thewarehouse, with the cargo conveyance means repositioned such that thecargo is presented at the interior transport position of the cargo, andwith a second overhead crane shown in the process of picking up thecargo;

FIG. 11 is a view similar to FIG. 10, with the second overhead craneshown depositing the cargo at a position on the warehouse floor;

FIG. 12 is a view similar to FIG. 10, with the second overhead craneshown depositing the cargo on a transport truck.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF A PREFERRED EMBODIMENT

A process for handling cargo according to a preferred embodiment of thepresent invention will now be described with general reference to FIG. 1through FIG. 12 of the drawings.

The process comprises the step of providing a cargo handling facilitywhich is designated with general reference numeral 20 in FIG. 3, andwill be understood to include, in the preferred embodiment illustrated:a wharf 22, a warehouse 24, a staging structure 26 and one or more cargoconveyance means 28, all as indicated in FIG. 2; a shelter 30, asindicated in FIG. 4; one or more overhead lifting means 32, as indicatedin FIG. 5; and transport means 34, as indicated in FIG. 11.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the wharf 22 defines a marineberth of sufficient length to accommodate the docking of a marine vessel42, said marine berth being shown in phantom outline in FIG. 1 anddesignated with general reference numeral 36. The wharf 22 preferablyhas defined thereon, substantially parallel to its waterside edge 38, asshown in FIG. 5, a first delivery alley 40 which transport trucks maytraverse.

The marine vessel 42 is shown, inter alia, in FIG. 3, and a transporttruck 44 as shown, inter alia, in FIG. 5, but it should expressly beunderstood that neither form part of the invention.

The warehouse 24 of the preferred embodiment is not essential to thebroadest conception of the invention, but where present preferably is aclimate-controlled structure having an access wall 46, a back wall 48opposed to the access wall 46, and end walls 50 extending between theaccess wall 46 and the back wall 48, all as indicated in FIG. 2, and isorientated with the access wall 46 thereof positioned towards andarranged substantially parallel to the waterside edge 38 of the wharf22, such that the marine berth 36 is sheltered on the land side by theaccess wall 46, as indicated in FIG. 4.

The access wall 46 is provided with one or more cargo doorways 52,numbering five in the preferred embodiment illustrated, opening ontosaid wharf 22, and one or more cargo doors 54, associated one each withsaid one or more cargo doorways 53, are also provided, as illustrated inFIG. 2. Each cargo door 54 is operatively mounted to the access wall 46for movement between an open position, whereat it is disposed apart fromits associated cargo doorway 52 as shown in FIG. 11, and a closedposition, whereat it substantially occludes and seals said cargo doorwayagainst the ambient air outside, as shown in FIG. 12.

Located within the warehouse 24, and specifically, defined on thestorage floor thereof, are second 56, third 58 ad fourth 60 deliveryalleys, adapted to permit the traverse of delivery vehicles as set forthhereinafter, and provided in the exterior wall structure 62 of thewarehouse 24 (as shown generally in FIG. 3) are overhead doors 64,disposed in pairs for each of said delivery alleys 56, 58, 60, atrespective ends thereof and adapted to permit ingress and egress of saiddelivery vehicles, as best indicated in FIG. 2.

The second delivery alley 56 is located proximate and substantiallyparallel to the access wall 46, and is adapted to permit the traverse ofloaded transport trucks 44; the third delivery alley 58 is locatedproximate to the back wall 48 of the warehouse 24, and is adapted topermit traverse by a pair of loaded transport trucks 44 in side-by-siderelation; and the fourth deliver valley 60 is located adjacent to andparallel the third delivery alley 58, and is adapted to permit thetraverse of loaded rail cars (not shown).

The staging structure 26 is connected exteriorly to warehouse 24 andforms a heated airlock 66 in combination therewith, said airlock 66having located therein extensions of the third delivery alley and fourthdelivery alley, numbered 68, 70 respectively in FIG. 2, in which loadedtransport trucks and rail cars can be acclimatized prior to ingress tothe warehouse, to limit moisture infiltration into the warehouse.

The one or more cargo conveyance means 28 are associated one each withsaid one or more cargo doorways 52, with each of said one or more cargoconveyance means 28 being adapted to convey cargo between a respectiveexterior transport position 72 on the wharf 22 outside its associatedcargo doorway 52 to a respective interior transport position 74 in thewarehouse 24 inside its associated cargo doorway 52. The exteriortransport positions 72 are shown in phantom outline in FIG. 5; interiortransport positions 74 are shown in phantom outline in FIG. 11.

As best illustrated in FIGS. 2A and 5A, in the preferred embodimentillustrated, the cargo conveyance means 28 are shown as tandem steelcoil conveyors, each including a pair of cart rails 76; a wheeled cart78 mounted for rolling movement on said rails and load-rated for 50tons; and a cable and pulley system (not shown) operatively connected tosaid wheeled cart 78 to selectively propel same between the wharf 22 andthe interior 79 of the warehouse 24. Of course, conveyor belts could bereadily substituted for the steel coil conveyors, if the process were tobe employed for handling bulk cargo or relatively less massive cargo.

As illustrated in FIG. 4, the shelter 30 preferably includes a roofstructure 80; a waterside wall 82; and a pair of shelter end walls 84.

The roof structure 80 overlies the wharf 22 and the marine berth 36,thereby to overly the one or more overhead lifting means 32, the marineberth 36, and the exterior transport positions 74. Lights (not shown)are preferably suspended beneath the roof structure 80 to illuminate thesheltered area.

The waterside wall 82 extends upwardly, from the bed of the water bodyon which the wharf sits, to the roof structure 80, such that the marineberth 36 is sheltered on the water side by the waterside wall 82, and inthe preferred embodiment, is arranged substantially parallel to theaccess wall 46.

The shelter end walls 84 substantially enclose the ends of said wharf22, said end walls 84 each having an overhead door 64 located therein topermit ingress and egress of transport trucks to and from the firstdelivery alley 40.

The one or more overhead lifting means 32, preferably being one or moreoverhead cranes, are provided to move cargo between a berthed vessel, asillustrated in FIG. 5, and the exterior transport positions 72, and inthe preferred embodiment comprises a first overhead crane 86.

In the preferred embodiment illustrated, the first overhead crane 86 isarranged such that its rails 88 are disposed adjacent and parallel tothe access wall 46 and the waterside wall 82, respectively, and isprovided with, for example, three bridges 90, each having at least onetrolley hoist 92.

The transport means 34 is for moving cargo between the interiortransport positions 74 and the interior 79 of the warehouse 24 and, asillustrated in FIG. 11, in the preferred embodiment comprises, for eachcargo conveyance means 28, a second overhead crane 94 having a pair ofrails 96 extending, on opposite sides of said each conveyor 28, from theaccess wall 46, and in substantially normal relation thereto, to theback wall 48 of the warehouse 24, and provided with two bridges 98, eachhaving a single trolley hoist 100 rated for 50 tons.

Other steps in the inventive process will become evident uponconsideration of the following description of the facility 20 inoperation.

In operation, a vessel to be unloaded will be maneuvered into the marineberth, as indicated by the sequence of FIG. 3 and FIG. 4, and secured tothe wharf 22 in a conventional manner (not shown).

Thereafter, stevedores will unload the cargo from the vessel utilizingthe first overhead crane 86.

Typically, such cargo will be breakbulk cargo, such as coils of steels,stowed in the hold, as well as sundry containers secured topside to thevessel.

Unloading involves opening the doors to the hold of the vessel, asindicated by the sequence of FIGS. 5, 6; withdrawing a piece of cargofrom the hold, as indicated by the sequence of FIGS. 6,7; and depositingthe cargo on a respective wheeled cart 28, as shown in FIG. 8, or on thebed of a transport truck 44, as shown in FIG. 9. The choice of transporttruck, and among the wheeled carts 28, will be calculated by thestevedores, having regard to the intended destination of the goods usingconventional logistics techniques which accordingly are not detailedherein. All three hoists 92 on the first overhead crane 86 will beutilized by the stevedores, to expedite unloading of the vessel, andbecause the wharf 22 and the marine berth 36 are sheltered andilluminated, unloading can be carried on continuously, night and day,and in inclement weather conditions.

After cargo is deposited onto the wheeled carts 78 (which form part ofthe cargo conveyance means 28) the associated cargo doorway 54 isopened, the wheeled carts 78 are urged into the warehouse interior 79;and the cargo doorway 54 is closed, as indicated by the sequence of FIG.11 and FIG. 12. This limits moisture infiltration into the warehouseinterior 79, and thus, minimizes corrosion or other moisture-relatedspoilage of the cargo, as well as loading on the warehouse HVAC system.

Warehousing/logistics of the cargo occurs contemporaneously withunloading.

Specifically, as the wheeled carts 78 reach the interior transportpositions 74, as shown in FIG. 10, warehouse labour utilizing theassociated second overhead cranes 94 empty the wheeled cart 78 anddeposit the cargo thereon either onto a delivery vehicle 101 located onthe delivery alleys 56, 58 or 60, as indicated by the sequence of FIG.10 and FIG. 12, or into the warehouse, as indicated by the sequence ofFIG. 10 and FIG. 11. Once emptied, the cargo doorway 54 is reopened, andthe wheeled cart 78 is returned to the exterior transport position 72,to receive further cargo, until such time as the vessel is unloaded. Ofcourse, the warehouse interior 79 is illuminated and climate controlled,such that operation can be carried on in darkness and inclement weather,so as not to impede the progress of the stevedores. The three bridges 98and the associated hoists 100 of the second overhead cranes 96 areutilized simultaneously, to expedite unloading, with the bridge 98disposed nearest the interior transport positions 74 being deployedlargely to move cargo off the wheeled carts 78 a short distance withinthe warehouse 24, to speed cycle time, and the second overhead cranes 96more distant being deployed for more time-consumingwarehousing/logistics functions.

Transport trucks, rail cars/rail car movers and/or tow motors (notshown) may also be utilized to move cargo within the warehouse, so as tobe within the reach of a given second overhead crane 96, or to bringsaid cargo into the airlock 66, to shed excess moisture prior towarehousing, as desired.

A similar process is followed in reverse, for loading of the vessel, aswill be readily understood by persons of ordinary skill in the art uponreview of the foregoing disclosure, and as such, is not described hereinin detail.

Numerous advantages flow from the present process and facility ascompared to processes and facilities of the prior art.

As one advantage, the consolidation of equipment, combined with theability to readily operate in darkness, and inclement weatherconditions, permits permanent staffing of the facility, both in terms ofwarehouse workers and stevedores, in a shift work environment, whichheretofore has been out of reach. The economies of scale inherent in theprocess and facility disclosed provide significant advantages inefficiencies and costs, particularly in relation to, for example,operating costs, all to the benefit of shippers, port authorities,warehousers and stevedores.

As another advantage, the consolidation of stevedoring and warehousingfunctions within a single management unit simplifies the transportationchain. Shippers may therefore demand greater accountability, which, inturn, should tend to minimize damage and deterioration in the transportchain, with resultant cost benefits.

As yet another advantage, the consolidation of operations and economiesof scale readily permit the introduction of automated inventory controlsystems.

As yet another advantage, the process provides for an efficientallocation of labour between stevedores and warehouse labour, such thatthe involvement of stevedores in warehouse/logistic efforts isminimized, and such that the involvement of warehouse/logisticsemployees in stevedoring functions is minimized, with resultant costbenefits flowing therefrom.

Of course, various modifications and alterations may be used in thepresent invention without departing from its spirit or scope.Accordingly, the present invention should be understood as limited onlyby the accompanying claims, purposively construed.

1. A process for handling cargo comprising the step of providing a cargohandling facility having: a wharf defining a marine berth of sufficientlength to accommodate the docking of a marine vessel in substantiallyparallel relation to a sidewall of said wharf; a shelter having a roofstructure overlying said marine berth and an adjacent portion of saidwharf; one or more overhead lifting means mounted beneath said roofstructure for movement over said marine berth and over said adjacentportion of said wharf in both transverse and parallel directionsrelative to said sidewall so as to provide for movement of cargo by saidoverhead lifting means between said marine vessel and one or moreexterior transport positions located on the wharf.
 2. A processaccording to claim 1, wherein said overhead lifting means comprises afirst overhead crane.
 3. A process according to claim 2, wherein saidone or more exterior transport positions are also located under saidroof structure.
 4. A process according to claim 3, wherein the shelterincludes a waterside wall extending upwardly, from a bed of a water bodyon which the wharf sits, to the roof structure, such that the marineberth is sheltered on a water side by the waterside wall.
 5. A processaccording to claim 4, wherein the facility additionally comprises awarehouse having an access wall in which one or more cargo doorwaysopening onto said wharf are provided.
 6. A process according to claim 5,wherein the warehouse is orientated with its access wall positionedtowards and arranged substantially parallel to a waterside edge of thewharf, such that the marine berth is sheltered on a land side by theaccess wall.
 7. A process according to claim 6, wherein said one or moreexterior transport positions are located one each on the wharf outside arespective one of said one or more cargo doorways.
 8. A processaccording to claim 7, wherein said facility additionally comprises oneor more cargo conveyance means associated one each with said one or morecargo doorways, each of said one or more cargo conveyance means beingadapted to convey cargo between a respective one of said one or moreexterior transport positions on the wharf outside its associated cargodoorway to a respective interior transport position in the warehouseinside its associated cargo doorway.
 9. A process according to claim 8,wherein the cargo conveyance means is a conveyor belt.
 10. A processaccording to claim 8, wherein the cargo conveyance means is a wheeledcart on rails.
 11. A process according to claim 8, wherein the facilityadditionally comprises a transport means for moving cargo between eachsaid respective interior transport position and an interior of thewarehouse.
 12. A process according to claim 11, wherein said transportmeans comprises, for each cargo conveyance means, a second overheadcrane having rails extending, on opposite sides of said each cargoconveyance means, from the access wall, and in substantially normalrelation thereto, to a back wall of the warehouse, opposed to the accesswall.
 13. A process according to claim 12, wherein the warehouse isclimate-controlled, and has one or more cargo doors associated one eachwith said one or more cargo doorways, each cargo door being operativelymounted to the access wall for movement between an open position,whereat it is disposed apart from its associated cargo doorway, and aclosed position, whereat it substantially occludes and seals said cargodoorway.
 14. A process according to claim 5, wherein the first overheadcrane has rails extending substantially parallel to the access wall andto the waterside wall.
 15. A process according to claim 5, wherein thefirst overhead crane is provided with three bridges, each having asingle trolley hoist.
 16. A process according to claim 12, wherein eachsecond overhead crane is provided with two bridges, each having a singletrolley hoist.
 17. A process according to claim 6, wherein the wharf hasdefined thereon, exterior to the warehouse and substantially parallel toits waterside edge, a first delivery alley which transport trucks maytraverse.
 18. A process according to claim 17, wherein the shelter has apair of end walls substantially enclosing ends of said wharf, said endwalls each having a first overhead door located therein to permitingress and egress of transport trucks to and from the first deliveryalley.
 19. A process according to claim 18, wherein a second deliveryalley is located in the warehouse, proximate the access wall andsubstantially parallel thereto, which loaded transport trucks maytraverse, and wherein a warehouse exterior has second overhead doorslocated therein, at opposite ends of the second delivery alley, topermit ingress and egress of loaded transport trucks to and from thesecond delivery alley.
 20. A process according to claim 19, wherein athird delivery alley is located in the warehouse proximate to the backwall of the warehouse, which a pair of loaded transport trucks maytraverse in side-by-side relation, and wherein the warehouse exteriorhas third overhead doors located therein, at opposite ends of the thirddelivery alley, to permit ingress and egress of the pair of loadedtransport trucks, in side-by-side relation, to and from the thirddelivery alley.
 21. A process according to claim 20, wherein a fourthdelivery alley is located in the warehouse, adjacent to and parallel thethird delivery alley, which loaded rail cars may traverse, and whereinthe warehouse exterior has fourth overhead doors located therein, atopposite ends of the fourth delivery alley, to permit ingress and egressof loaded rail cars to and from the fourth delivery alley.
 22. A processaccording to claim 21, wherein the facility further comprises aclimate-controlled staging structure connected exteriorly to thewarehouse and forming a heated airlock in combination therewith, saidairlock having located therein extensions of the third delivery alleyand fourth delivery alley, in which loaded transport trucks and railcars can be acclimatized prior to ingress to the warehouse, to limitmoisture infiltration.
 23. A cargo handling facility comprising: a wharfdefining a marine berth of sufficient length to accommodate the dockingof a marine vessel in substantially parallel relation to a sidewall ofsaid wharf; a shelter having a roof structure overlying said marineberth and an adjacent portion of said wharf; one or more overheadlifting means mounted beneath said roof structure for movement over saidmarine berth and over said adjacent portion of said wharf in bothtransverse and parallel directions relative to said sidewall so as toprovide for movement of cargo by said overhead lifting means betweensaid marine vessel and one or more exterior transport positions locatedon the wharf.
 24. A cargo handling facility according to claim 23,wherein said overhead lifting means comprises a first overhead crane.25. A cargo handling facility according to claim 24, wherein said one ormore exterior transport positions are also located under said roofstructure.
 26. A cargo handling facility according to claim 25, whereinthe shelter includes a waterside wall extending upwardly, from a bed ofa water body on which the wharf sits, to the roof structure, such thatthe marine berth is sheltered on a water side by the waterside wall. 27.A cargo handling facility according to claim 26, additionally comprisinga warehouse having an access wall in which one or more cargo doorwaysopening onto said wharf are provided.
 28. A cargo handling facilityaccording to claim 27, wherein the warehouse is orientated with itsaccess wall positioned towards and arranged substantially parallel to awaterside edge of the wharf, such that the marine berth is sheltered ona land side by the access wall.
 29. A cargo handling facility accordingto claim 28, wherein said one or more exterior transport positions arelocated one each on the wharf outside a respective one of said one ormore cargo doorways.
 30. A cargo handling facility according to claim29, additionally comprising one or more cargo conveyance meansassociated one each with said one or more cargo doorways, each of saidone or more cargo conveyance means being adapted to convey cargo betweena respective one of said one or more exterior transport positions on thewharf outside its associated cargo doorway to a respective interiortransport position in the warehouse inside its associated cargo doorway.31. A cargo handling facility according to claim 30, wherein the cargoconveyance means is a conveyor belt.
 32. A cargo handling facilityaccording to claim 30 wherein the cargo conveyance means is a wheeledcart on rails.
 33. A cargo handling facility according to claim 30,additionally comprising transport means for moving cargo between eachsaid respective interior transport position and an interior of thewarehouse.
 34. A cargo handling facility according to claim 23, whereinsaid transport means comprises, for each cargo conveyance means, asecond overhead crane having rails extending, on opposite sides of saideach cargo conveyance means, from the access wall, and in substantiallynormal relation thereto, to a back wall of the warehouse, opposed to theaccess wall.
 35. A cargo handling facility according to claim 34,wherein the warehouse is climate-controlled, and has one or more cargodoors associated one each with said one or more cargo doorways, eachcargo door being operatively mounted to the access wall for movementbetween an open position, whereat it is disposed apart from itsassociated cargo doorway, and a closed position, whereat itsubstantially occludes and seals said cargo doorway.
 36. A cargohandling facility according to claim 27, wherein the first overheadcrane has rails extending substantially parallel to the access wall andto the waterside wall.
 37. A cargo handling facility according to claim27, wherein the first overhead crane is provided with three bridges,each having a single trolley. hoist.
 38. A cargo handling facilityaccording to claim 34, wherein each second overhead crane is providedwith two bridges, each having a single trolley hoist.
 39. A cargohandling facility according to claim 28 wherein the wharf has definedthereon, exterior to the warehouse and substantially parallel to itswaterside edges, a first delivery alley which transport trucks maytraverse.
 40. A cargo handling facility according to claim 39, whereinthe shelter has a pair of end walls substantially enclosing ends of saidwharf, said end walls each having a first overhead door located thereinto permit ingress and egress of transport trucks to and from the firstdelivery alley.
 41. A cargo handling facility according to claim 40,wherein a second delivery alley is located in the warehouse, proximatethe access wall and substantially parallel thereto, which loadedtransport trucks may traverse, and wherein a warehouse exterior hassecond overhead doors located therein, at opposite ends of the seconddelivery alley, to permit ingress and egress of loaded transport trucksto and from the second delivery alley.
 42. A cargo handling facilityaccording to claim 41, wherein a third delivery alley is located in thewarehouse proximate to the back wall of the warehouse, which a pair ofloaded transport trucks may traverse in side-by-side relation, andwherein the warehouse exterior has third overhead doors located therein,at opposite ends of the third delivery alley, to permit ingress andegress of the pair of loaded transport trucks, in side-by-side relation,to and from the third delivery alley.
 43. A cargo handling facilityaccording to claim 42, wherein a fourth delivery alley is located in thewarehouse, adjacent to and parallel the third delivery alley, whichloaded rail cars may traverse, and wherein the warehouse exterior hasfourth overhead doors located therein, at opposite ends of the fourthdelivery alley, to permit ingress and egress of loaded rail ends of thefourth delivery alley, to permit ingress and egress of loaded rail carsto and from the fourth delivery alley.
 44. A cargo handling facilityaccording to claim 43, wherein the facility further comprises aclimate-controlled staging structure connected exteriorly to thewarehouse and forming a heated airlock in combination therewith, saidairlock having located therein extensions of the third delivery alleyand fourth delivery alley, in which loaded transport trucks and railcars can be acclimatized prior to ingress to the warehouse, to limitmoisture infiltration.